Hundreds of jobs are posted daily on the Internet with the intention of matching the right kind of skills and experience with different jobs. In many business circles, this approach has proven effective because of the real-time information applicants provide and the ease of weeding out those who don’t have the skills you’re looking for. While the growing popularity of e-recruitment in the UK can be a distraction, HR managers and recruitment agencies are encouraged to undertake the necessary research to assess this approach to filling vacancies. The list of pros and cons below will give those considering the possibilities of e-recruitment the key facts to consider.
Advantages of electronic contracting
Talent Pool – E-recruitment allows employers to have a pool of talent that they can use for future needs. This is done automatically once applicants submit their applications, making it easy to track and shortlist candidates who may be considered for future positions with the company.
Cost Effective: Businesses looking to reduce advertising costs will find e-recruitment the perfect solution to do so. They won’t have to worry about the costs associated with advertising in magazines or newspapers and will continue to reach large numbers of people based on the skills they target. Timely: Companies that adopt a selection process that places qualified candidates ahead of those who may not have the required skills will see higher quality results. The selection process can be anything from allowing applicants to answer certain questions or searching for certain keywords in a candidate’s application to see if he or she will be an asset to the organization in question. Unlike the traditional approach that would take weeks or months to screen hundreds of written resumes, eRecruitment makes it easier and more flexible for recruiters to match skills with needs faster. The time saved by doing so can be spent elsewhere in the organization while increasing productivity in your roles.
Wider geographical area – More and more people are using the internet and this simply means that the chances of reaching those looking for jobs in the UK online will make it easier to reach a wider audience. Once proper selection methods are established, human resource managers and recruiting agencies will be able to find employees within certain geographic areas to meet the skills and qualified personnel needs of the organization.
Easier Access – Traditionally, hundreds of printed resumes would mean more paperwork and the need for more storage space. With e-recruitment, resumes are available online 24/7 and don’t take up office space. This facilitates the entire decision process in choosing a candidate due to the ease of accessing information when needed.
Disadvantages of electronic recruitment
Results not guaranteed: There is no guarantee that e-recruitment will provide you with candidates that meet your needs. Some people have not reaped the benefits of using the internet to find jobs in the UK and this means you may not necessarily reach the audience you want. On top of this, small companies trying to fill vacancies may not get as many responses as larger companies.
Time-consuming selection: Companies that have not established an effective selection process will find that they will have to sift through a large number of CVs to reach candidates who really have the skills. With this in mind, the questionnaires used to screen candidates must be cleverly formulated so that only qualified candidates make it to the selection stages.
Standardized Forms: Qualified candidates who are unable to demonstrate their skills and talents due to inhibitions set by standardized forms will not be fairly evaluated. This means that companies lose the opportunity to select the right candidates due to the restrictions imposed by the standardized formats used in electronic recruitment.